the introduction

INTRODUCTION

on earth. After a long period of meditation on the form and virtues of Shri Rama, it is said that sage valmiki was granted a vision of Rama's life from beginning to end.

He gave expression to this unique experience, in Sanskrit verse, in the .24,000 sloka (48,000 lines) known as the Ramayana. The sloka is a specific mantra which the poet himself discovered, as is told in a beautiful passage in the first book.

The poem is divided into seven books (Kanda) of unequal length, which may be very briefiy summarised as follows :-

Book I. (Bal-Kanda.) King Dasaratha of Ayodhya , performs a sacrifice in the hope of obtaining a son. At this time the Gods (Devas) are alarmed at the power acquired by the mighty demon named Ravana. who by the talents and boons he had possessed conquered almost all of the known world. King Dasaratha's prayer is answered and his three wives bear four sons, Rama, Bharata and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna, who are all reincarnation of vishnus weapons and shesh nag laxmana. Vishnu, however, manifests in Shri Rama. The boys grow up and Shri Rama wins as his bride, Sita, the daughter of King Janaka of the neighbouring kingdom of Videha.

Book II. (Ayodhya-Kanda.) King Dasatatha intends to proclaim Shri Rama the crown prince, but the jealousy of his second queen, Kaikeyi, is aroused and she holds the king to a promise made formerly, that he would grant her two boons. The boons she now secures are the exile of Shri Rama to the forest for fourteen years, and the installation of her own son Bharata as the crown prince. According to the cosmic order (dharma) a vow must be honoured, and Shri Rama calmly accepts the sentence of exile. He travels south to Chittrakuta in the Dandaka Forest with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. King Dasaratha dies of grief and Bharata implores Shri Rama to return to the throne, but the latter adheres firmly to "the vindication of his father's honour and the fulfilment of his vow.

Book III. (Aranya-Kanda.) After about ten years in the forest with her husband, Princeas Sita is kidnapped by the demon Ravana, and taken by him to his capital, Lanka (the modern day sri lanka).

Book IV. (Kishkindkya-Kanda.) Rama and Lakshmana in pursuit of Ravana and to rescue Sita, enlist the aid of King Sugriva, leader of the vannar (forest man) tribe, whose chief minister Hanuman becomes the foremost devotee and servant of Shri Rama. Help also comes from Vibishana, brother of Ravana, who has openly disapproved of the demon king's conduct, and warned him of the retribution he may expect for his unrighteous actions.

Book V. (Sundara-Kanda.) The vannar armies reach the south coast of bharat, and, bridging the straits, gain entry into Lanka.

Book VI. (Lanka-Kanda.) After a series of pitched battles, Lanka is captured and Ravana is slain by Shri Rama. Sita demonstrates her puriry and faithfulness to her husband, by successfully undergoing the ordeal by fire. The period of fourteen years' exile is by now completed, and Shri Rama returns with his consort, his brothers and allies, to the capital Ayodhya, where he begins a long and glorious reign.

Book VII. (Uttara-Kanda.) This 'later section' or epilogue, describes the doubts raised in the minds of the citizens concerning the purity of Sita, and how they compel Shri Rama to send her to Valmiki's hermitage in the forest where she gives birth to twin sons, Kusha and Lava. When these boys grow up, they return to Ayodhya and are recognized by Shri Rama, who subsequently brings Sita back to share the ruling of the kingdom with him.

This in outline is the story of the Rsmayana, which, in the poetic grandeur of the original, as well as in the later Hindi work on the same theme by Goswami Tulsidas, has exerted a tremendous influence on the men and women of India. It is not only poetry of unsurpassed dramatic power and brilliance, it is a treasure-house of information on rhetoric, medicine, geology, botany, geography and every facet of the ancient civilization, with which learned scholars may interest themselves. For every Hindu, Shri Rama and Sita are the ideal man and woman, the model husband and wife. Shri Rama is an incarnation of God, the One all-pervading,Principle of Truth and Intelligence, and what higher pattern for one's life could be chosen than this man of perfect virtue, a lover of truth,compassionate, just, benevolent, valorous and chivalrous?

The story may also be taken as an allegory. Symbolically rama and Ravana represent the forces of light and darkness operating in the human heart, as well as in the world.

Truth, benevolence, mercy and righteousness are the forcea of Light which are opposed by greed, lust, love of pleasure and power, anger and egoity.

The real triumph of man means conquest of the forces of darkness. In India a festival is celebrated each year on the day traditionally held to be that on which Ravana fell and the rule of tyranny, injustice, savagery and unrighteousness ended.

which is probably the most widely read of all in the present day. One version of the story also forms an episode in the Mahabharata and another comparatively modem treatment of it is the adhyatma ramayan ascribed to the Sage ved Vyasa.

The Sage Valmiki himself wrote a long metaphysical classic known as the Maharamayana or Yoga Vasishtba, which deals with the inner development of Shri Rama as opposed to his outer deeds and which remains one of the most authoritative and respected philosophical treatises of Vedanta.

The life of Shri Rama bas entered into the consciousness of the Indian people, and much art and literature,The words of Brahma(the creator) in the ramayana have proved so far to be no idle boast : " So long as mountains and rivers have place on the earth, the story of the ramayana will be told in the world."

The aim of this is to make the story known to English readers in a complete form, the first part of which is published in this volume. Although it is not possible to reproduce the beauty of the original poetic form, the true spirit of Valmiki's masterpiece is here preserved and for those who have vision, the whole significance of its spiritual purpose will be apparent.